Ben Bard
Acting
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Ben Bard (January 26, 1893, Milwaukee – May 17, 1974, Los Angeles) was a movie actor, stage actor, and acting teacher. With comedian Jack Pearl, Bard worked in a comedy duo in vaudeville. In 1926, Bard, Pearl, and Sascha Beaumont appeared in a short film made in Lee DeForest's Phonofilm sound-on-film process. Bard had a small roll in Roland West's classic mystery The Bat Whispers (1930). Later in the decade, he ran a leading Hollywood acting school, Ben Bard Drama. He married the serial film star Ruth Roland in 1929, and was married to Roland until her death in 1937. Bard was recruited to be a leading man at Fox Film Corporation. However, he was typecast as a "Suave Heavy"—a smooth-talking, well-dressed fellow with a dark side. An example of this type is his portrayal of "Mr. Brun" in The Seventh Victim (1943). Also in 1943, Bard appeared in two other Val Lewton-produced horror films: The Leopard Man, as Robles, the Police Chief, and The Ghost Ship, as First Officer Bowns. In 1939, he married Roma Clarisse, an actress and last recipient of the Ruth Roland Scholarship to Ben Bard Drama. They had 3 children before she died in 1947. In 1948 Bard married Jackie Lynn Taylor, an actress in the Our Gang series. They divorced in 1954. During the 1950s, Bard was the head of the New Talent Department at Twentieth Century Fox. He re-opened his school, Ben Bard Drama, in 1960. Bard died in Los Angeles in 1974. His resting place is with Ruth Roland at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale. He is survived by his son Bryan Barak Bard, who is a video documentary artist living in Israel. He is also survived by his other son Bartley Bard, who is a professional director and screenwriter. Description above from the Wikipedia article Ben Bard, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Known For
In order to use the publicity to get re-elected, a judge sentences a notorious gangster to fight in the war.
Born Reckless
A falsely convicted man's wife, Catherine, and an alcoholic composer and pianist, Martin, team up in an attempt to clear her husband of the murder of a blonde singer, who is Martin's wife.
Black Angel
Willie, as an assistant window-dresser, is the lowest man on the totem pole at a department store. To add insult-to-injury Willie is also the store's designated 'Fired Man."; when a disgruntled customer demands that somebody-must-be-fired, Willie is summoned and summarily fired, only to be rehired when the now-satisfied customer has departed. Willie inadvertently adopts a four-year-old orphan at a cost of ten-dollars a week, and things go from bad to worse since Willie doesn't make ten-dollars a week. But, with the help of Mary, a beautiful young nurse, Willie manages to turn some corners and improve his lot in life, albeit with some skids along the way.
Night Work
After young Mary Gibson discovers that her older sister Jacqueline has disappeared, she leaves her boarding school and heads to New York City to track down her sibling. But Mary gets drawn deeper into the mystery.
The Seventh Victim
When a leopard escapes during a publicity stunt, it triggers a series of murders.
The Leopard Man
In 1910s Paris, a sewer worker disillusioned with Christianity feels his prayers have been answered when he chances upon a street waif and they fall in love.
7th Heaven
Captain Stone's newly recruited officer, Tom Merriam, idolizes his senior who treats him like a friend. But when a couple of his crew members die mysteriously, Tom starts doubting Stone's authority.
The Ghost Ship
When a gangster's speakeasy is raided by the police, one of the people picked up is the gangster's pretty young girlfriend. A kind-hearted cop takes pity on her and helps her get out of that life. While waitressing to earn money for college, she meets a wealthy and handsome young man and they fall in love--but he doesn't know about her somewhat shady past and her relationship with the gangster.
Romance of the Underworld
Infamous burglar "The Bat" commits a daring jewelry theft despite heavy police presence. Soon after, a bank theft occurs, which may be the work of the criminal as well. Meanwhile, Cornelia Van Gorder has various people arrive at her old mansion, including her niece, Dale, a bank employee, and police detective Anderson. When guests start turning up dead, Cornelia begins to suspect that The Bat may be lurking around the estate.
The Bat Whispers
A charlatan posing as Baron Munchhausen is invited to be guest speaker at a girls' school.
Meet the Baron
Marianna Miller, who together with her sister Sarah pounds the pavements, looking for a job. After a period of starvation and deprivation Marianna is hired as secretary to duplicitous businessman Philip Hancock.
Two Girls Wanted
A mob boss' gang gets suspicious about their boss' new girlfriend, a beautiful young girl who doesn't seem to be the type who'd hang out with gangsters. They're not quite certain if she's actually a police agent or just a "groupie".
Dressed to Kill
Footage from the premiere of Charlie Chaplin's 1928 film 'The Circus'.
The Circus: Premiere
My Own Pal takes Tom Mix out of his customary western surroundings and plunks him in the middle of New York City.
My Own Pal
The teens of a defense-plant town hop on the road to juvenile delinquency while their parents are busy with the war.
Youth Runs Wild
A famous Venetian opera singer marries a rich, but very jealous man. After moving to London with him, she misses the opera and all the attention she used to get. Once back in Venice, an old lover shows up causing trouble.
Love and the Devil
Car thieves are running rampant in the city and it's up to Reginald Van Bibber to save the day. In spite of himself of course.
Car Shy
Frenchman is engaged to marry South American heiress but a fortune-hunting friend disrupts the romance and marries the girl himself. She later realizes her mistake after her no-good husband has frittered away most of her fortune and she turns back to her first love.
No Other Woman
Sheriff Ben Holden is in love with hotel owner Madge Malarkey when down-and-out carnival man Gabby Gilfoil shows up hoping to take her for some money. Gilfoil is mistaken for the wanted man Slippery Sawtelle. Neither suitor gets Malarkey but manage to take her husband (wealthy Simeon Trott) for a bundle.
Two Flaming Youths
Ambitious Rosemary Merton ( Olive Borden ), agrees to pose in the studio of Larry Kane ( Ben Bard ), a depraved artist, but she refuses to do so in the nude. However, Kane makes it appear in the portrait that she posed in that manner, and she is disgraced when local newspapers print the picture. She is eventually exonerated by the intervention of Sloan Whitney ( Clifford Holland ), her wealthy young sweetheart; and Rosemary makes the sacrifice of ambition for love.